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Φιλοκλέων

τίς ἂν οὖν εἴη; ζητεῖθʼ ὑμεῖς, ὡς πᾶν ἂν ἔγωγε ποιοίην·

οὕτω κιττῶ διὰ τῶν σανίδων μετὰ χοιρίνης περιελθεῖν.

Χορός

ἔστιν ὀπὴ δῆθʼ ἥντινʼ ἂν ἔνδοθεν οἷός τʼ εἴης διορύξαι,
350

εἶτʼ ἐκδῦναι ῥάκεσιν κρυφθεὶς ὥσπερ πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς;

Φιλοκλέων

πάντα πέφαρκται κοὐκ ἔστιν ὀπῆς οὐδʼ εἰ σέρφῳ διαδῦναι.

ἀλλʼ ἄλλο τι δεῖ ζητεῖν ὑμᾶς· ὀπίαν δʼ οὐκ ἔστι γενέσθαι.

Χορός

μέμνησαι δῆθʼ, ὅτʼ ἐπὶ στρατιᾶς κλέψας ποτὲ τοὺς ὀβελίσκους

ἵεις σαυτὸν κατὰ τοῦ τείχους ταχέως, ὅτε Νάξος ἑάλω.
355

Φιλοκλέων

οἶδʼ· ἀλλὰ τί τοῦτʼ; οὐδὲν γὰρ τοῦτʼ ἐστὶν ἐκείνῳ προσόμοιον.

ἥβων γὰρ κἀδυνάμην κλέπτειν, ἴσχυόν τʼ αὐτὸς ἐμαυτοῦ,

Wasps. Aristophanes. ed. F. W. Hall, ed. William M. Geldart. Oxford. 1906.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Σφῆκες (Greek) (Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 1. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.)

Translations (2)

Wasps (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Anonymous; 1938 compilation). Migrated from Perseus legacy XML; source wording and notes retained. See TEI header and migration inventory.) — 348 focus

Philocleon

But what? Try to find some way. For myself, I am ready for anything, so much do I burn to run along the tiers of the tribunal with my voting-pebble in my hand.

Leader of the Chorus

350 There is surely some hole through which you could manage to squeeze from within, and escape dressed in rags, like the crafty Odysseus.

Philocleon

Everything is sealed fast; not so much as a gnat could get through. Think of some other plan; there is no possible hole of escape.

Leader of the Chorus

Do you recall how, when you were with the army at the taking of Naxos , 355 you descended so readily from the top of the wall by means of the spits you had stolen?

Philocleon

I remember that well enough, but what connection is there with present circumstances? I was young, clever at thieving, I had all my strength,

English (Sanjaya, generated; selected passages) (OCR draft) Experimental (Source: pnadelofficial/aristophanes-sanjaya, commit c319590c139e5603e71f0699caa0663d823af8ad. Machine-generated source annotations retained; see Sanjaya import audit for coverage and limitations.) — 348 focus

Philocleon: So who could it be? Look for him, as I would do anything!

Philocleon: So let him get through the boards, wrapped in a pigskin.

Chorus: There is, by Zeus, a hole of whatever kind you might be able to dig out from within,

350

Chorus: Then, having hidden in rags like the much-resourceful Odysseus, [will you] come out?

Philocleon: Everything is cooked and there is no way, not even for a slave, to get through.

Philocleon: But something else must be sought by you; for there is no way for the onion to be made.

Chorus: Remember, then, when you once stole the skewers during a military expedition

Chorus: Jump yourself quickly against the wall, just as Naxos was taken.

355

Philocleon: I know it; but what is this? For this is in no way like that.

Philocleon: For when I was young and strong enough to steal, I was myself stronger than myself,

Commentary

Commentary (Sanjaya, generated; selected passages) (OCR draft) (Source: pnadelofficial/aristophanes-sanjaya, commit c319590c139e5603e71f0699caa0663d823af8ad. Machine-generated source annotations retained; see Sanjaya import audit for coverage and limitations.) focus

354. mvp-tlg0019-tlg004-sanjaya-com-eng1-5

Line 354

μέμνησαι δῆθʼ, ὅτʼ ἐπὶ στρατιᾶς κλέψας ποτὲ τοὺς ὀβελίσκους

The phrase ὀβελίσκους refers specifically to the small skewers used for roasting meat, which in this context function as a metonymy for the meat itself or, more likely given the comedic context of the trial, the small rations of food distributed to jurors. The joke relies on the absurdity of the character being accused of stealing such trivial items, thereby satirizing the tendency of the old generation to view the younger generation's corruption through the lens of petty theft rather than grand political crimes.

355. mvp-tlg0019-tlg004-sanjaya-com-eng1-6

Line 355

ἵεις σαυτὸν κατὰ τοῦ τείχους ταχέως, ὅτε Νάξος ἑάλω.

The phrase ὅτε Νάξος ἑάλω ('when Naxos fell') is a proverbial locution in Old Comedy referring to the Athenian siege of Naxos in 469/8 BCE, which ended in a humiliating Athenian defeat and the subsequent loss of the island to the Persians. In this context, the phrase functions as an elliptical temporal clause meaning 'immediately' or 'right away,' a usage attested in Aristophanes (e.g., *Acharnians* 514) and other comic poets to denote sudden action, though the specific historical allusion to the failed siege adds a layer of irony or dark humor to the command to fall against the wall.

Aristophanes Wasps 348

ed. F. W. Hall, ed. William M. Geldart

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Φιλοκλέων

τίς ἂν οὖν εἴη; ζητεῖθʼ ὑμεῖς, ὡς πᾶν ἂν ἔγωγε ποιοίην·

οὕτω κιττῶ διὰ τῶν σανίδων μετὰ χοιρίνης περιελθεῖν.

Χορός

ἔστιν ὀπὴ δῆθʼ ἥντινʼ ἂν ἔνδοθεν οἷός τʼ εἴης διορύξαι,
350

εἶτʼ ἐκδῦναι ῥάκεσιν κρυφθεὶς ὥσπερ πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς;

Φιλοκλέων

πάντα πέφαρκται κοὐκ ἔστιν ὀπῆς οὐδʼ εἰ σέρφῳ διαδῦναι.

ἀλλʼ ἄλλο τι δεῖ ζητεῖν ὑμᾶς· ὀπίαν δʼ οὐκ ἔστι γενέσθαι.

Χορός

μέμνησαι δῆθʼ, ὅτʼ ἐπὶ στρατιᾶς κλέψας ποτὲ τοὺς ὀβελίσκους

ἵεις σαυτὸν κατὰ τοῦ τείχους ταχέως, ὅτε Νάξος ἑάλω.
355

Φιλοκλέων

οἶδʼ· ἀλλὰ τί τοῦτʼ; οὐδὲν γὰρ τοῦτʼ ἐστὶν ἐκείνῳ προσόμοιον.

ἥβων γὰρ κἀδυνάμην κλέπτειν, ἴσχυόν τʼ αὐτὸς ἐμαυτοῦ,

Current edition Perseus

Philocleon

But what? Try to find some way. For myself, I am ready for anything, so much do I burn to run along the tiers of the tribunal with my voting-pebble in my hand.

Leader of the Chorus

350 There is surely some hole through which you could manage to squeeze from within, and escape dressed in rags, like the crafty Odysseus.

Philocleon

Everything is sealed fast; not so much as a gnat could get through. Think of some other plan; there is no possible hole of escape.

Leader of the Chorus

Do you recall how, when you were with the army at the taking of Naxos , 355 you descended so readily from the top of the wall by means of the spits you had stolen?

Philocleon

I remember that well enough, but what connection is there with present circumstances? I was young, clever at thieving, I had all my strength,

Commentary

Line 354

Line 355

Stable identifiers

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Φιλοκλέων τίς ἂν οὖν εἴη; ζητεῖθʼ ὑμεῖς, ὡς πᾶν ἂν ἔγωγε ποιοίην· οὕτω κιττῶ διὰ τῶν σανίδων μετὰ χοιρίνης περιελθεῖν.

Χορός ἔστιν ὀπὴ δῆθʼ ἥντινʼ ἂν ἔνδοθεν οἷός τʼ εἴης διορύξαι, 350 εἶτʼ ἐκδῦναι ῥάκεσιν κρυφθεὶς ὥσπερ πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς;

Φιλοκλέων πάντα πέφαρκται κοὐκ ἔστιν ὀπῆς οὐδʼ εἰ σέρφῳ διαδῦναι. ἀλλʼ ἄλλο τι δεῖ ζητεῖν ὑμᾶς· ὀπίαν δʼ οὐκ ἔστι γενέσθαι.

Χορός μέμνησαι δῆθʼ, ὅτʼ ἐπὶ στρατιᾶς κλέψας ποτὲ τοὺς ὀβελίσκους ἵεις σαυτὸν κατὰ τοῦ τείχους ταχέως, ὅτε Νάξος ἑάλω. 355

Φιλοκλέων οἶδʼ· ἀλλὰ τί τοῦτʼ; οὐδὲν γὰρ τοῦτʼ ἐστὶν ἐκείνῳ προσόμοιον. ἥβων γὰρ κἀδυνάμην κλέπτειν, ἴσχυόν τʼ αὐτὸς ἐμαυτοῦ,

Current edition Perseus

Philocleon But what? Try to find some way. For myself, I am ready for anything, so much do I burn to run along the tiers of the tribunal with my voting-pebble in my hand.

Leader of the Chorus 350 There is surely some hole through which you could manage to squeeze from within, and escape dressed in rags, like the crafty Odysseus.

Philocleon Everything is sealed fast; not so much as a gnat could get through. Think of some other plan; there is no possible hole of escape.

Leader of the Chorus Do you recall how, when you were with the army at the taking of Naxos , 355 you descended so readily from the top of the wall by means of the spits you had stolen?

Philocleon I remember that well enough, but what connection is there with present circumstances? I was young, clever at thieving, I had all my strength,

Commentary

Line 354

Line 355

Stable identifiers

Φιλοκλέων

τίς ἂν οὖν εἴη; ζητεῖθʼ ὑμεῖς, ὡς πᾶν ἂν ἔγωγε ποιοίην·

οὕτω κιττῶ διὰ τῶν σανίδων μετὰ χοιρίνης περιελθεῖν.

Χορός

ἔστιν ὀπὴ δῆθʼ ἥντινʼ ἂν ἔνδοθεν οἷός τʼ εἴης διορύξαι,
350

εἶτʼ ἐκδῦναι ῥάκεσιν κρυφθεὶς ὥσπερ πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς;

Φιλοκλέων

πάντα πέφαρκται κοὐκ ἔστιν ὀπῆς οὐδʼ εἰ σέρφῳ διαδῦναι.

ἀλλʼ ἄλλο τι δεῖ ζητεῖν ὑμᾶς· ὀπίαν δʼ οὐκ ἔστι γενέσθαι.

Χορός

μέμνησαι δῆθʼ, ὅτʼ ἐπὶ στρατιᾶς κλέψας ποτὲ τοὺς ὀβελίσκους

ἵεις σαυτὸν κατὰ τοῦ τείχους ταχέως, ὅτε Νάξος ἑάλω.
355

Φιλοκλέων

οἶδʼ· ἀλλὰ τί τοῦτʼ; οὐδὲν γὰρ τοῦτʼ ἐστὶν ἐκείνῳ προσόμοιον.

ἥβων γὰρ κἀδυνάμην κλέπτειν, ἴσχυόν τʼ αὐτὸς ἐμαυτοῦ,

Philocleon

But what? Try to find some way. For myself, I am ready for anything, so much do I burn to run along the tiers of the tribunal with my voting-pebble in my hand.

Leader of the Chorus

350 There is surely some hole through which you could manage to squeeze from within, and escape dressed in rags, like the crafty Odysseus.

Philocleon

Everything is sealed fast; not so much as a gnat could get through. Think of some other plan; there is no possible hole of escape.

Leader of the Chorus

Do you recall how, when you were with the army at the taking of Naxos , 355 you descended so readily from the top of the wall by means of the spits you had stolen?

Philocleon

I remember that well enough, but what connection is there with present circumstances? I was young, clever at thieving, I had all my strength,